The World of Birdwing Butterflies

TROIDES PRATTORUM

IUCN conservation status category: INDETERMINATE.

Troides prattorum is a huge black and yellow Troides with a remarkable structural colouration producing a striking blue-green sheen on the angled hindwing.

T. prattorum is an endemic to Buru island where it inhabits the mountains of the interior. The island is big - around ¹/₃ the size of the Netherlands - and the population of some 70,000 people is scattered around the lowlands. As the interior remains fairly undisturbed, the future of T. prattorum looks better than that of T. dohertyi.

In the years 1969-1979 Buru was a 'rehabilitation centre' for political prisoners, and entering the island was impossible. During this period - and even previous to that - few or none specimens came out of the island. A pair reached a price of £222.- at an auction as early as 1966.

Even if specimens have come out of Buru during the 80's and 90's, very little is still known about the life-history of prattorum.
 

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© Tony Nagypal, 2000